CATEGORIES

Promising future for Shaka’s cattle

This article focused on Nguni cattle, and why the breed should not have been ignored for as long as it was.

Hardy, dual-purpose Dexters make sound business sense

Twenty years ago, Gauteng livestock producer Kobus van der Linde bought a handful of Dexter cattle as a hobby for his children. Today, Van der Linde’s 100-head Lundi Dexter stud is a profitable operation, and his sole business. Annelie Coleman visited him to find out why he concentrated on this remarkable breed.

Mastitis: prevention is better than cure

Mastitis can be devastating to a dairy’s profitability. Dr Chantelle Erwee, technical manager of ruminants at Zoetis, describes strategies that a farmer can implement to prevent cows from developing the condition.

Citrus: a longterm vision for traditional communities

Thanks to a financial boost from various public and private entities, the Majeje Citrus company will be able to fully participate in one of South Africa’s most important agricultural industries within the next five years.

Lessons from Danish researchers and farmers

Research and development in agriculture is accelerating to keep up with the numerous challenges in the sector. On a recent agricultural tour of Denmark, Lindi Botha discovered the many different ways in which the Danish are tackling the age-old dilemma of optimising inputs while achieving maximum output.

Food production: the intuitive farmer is the farmer of the future

Justin Platt, founder and managing director of agricultural technical services companies Zylem and RegenZ, says that farmers don’t need more knowledge, but rather better ‘knowing’.

Merinos at their best

After just four years of breeding Merino sheep on his stud farm, JH Hattingh of Lady Grey in the Eastern Cape showed some startling results, as this article revealed.

The marathon where heroes are forged

The Comrades Marathon has been the making of many a South African athlete, including the legendary Wally Hayward, says Graham Jooste.

Optimising fuel usage on your farm: Part 1

With fuel contributing heavily to farmers’ input costs, every fuel price hike has a negative impact on their bottom lines. Godfried Heydenrych, managing director of Argo South Africa, spoke to Magda du Toit about what producers can do to mitigate the effects of rising fuel costs.

Maize and wheat weeds (Part 2): Tribulus terrestris

Devil’s thorn, which thrives under hot, dry conditions, causes tribulosis in sheep in the absence of good grazing. Its small woody fruit has long, sharp spines that easily cling to clothes and the coats of animals.

Dealing with whitefly in tomatoes

Whitefly is a serious threat to tomatoes. In addition to causing damage, it’s a vector for the devastating tomato curly stunt virus, says Bill Kerr.

Partnerships pay off for Western Cape nursery

Kobus se Kwekery in Oudtshoorn won Klein Karoo Seed Production’s award for the best emerging agricultural business in both 2017 and 2020. Yolandi Leen, who co-owns the nursery with her husband Kobus, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about their journey to success and the market they serve.

Focus shifts from zinc to gut health for robust pigs

Increasing pressure against the use of zinc oxide in pig herds has left farmers concerned about whether an alternative will be as effective at controlling disease and maintaining animal health. New research suggests that an alternative is not only already available, but offers more benefits.

A danger to our herds: brucellosis in cattle

Brucellosis is a notifiable disease in South Africa, and is a highly contagious zoonotic disease around the world. As no effective treatment is available, prevention is essential.

‘Going green’ drives research at New Holland

Jaco du Preez, marketing manager for New Holland in Southern Africa, spoke to Janine Ryan about how the company is going green with its new methane-powered tractor.

Wuhlf: forging ahead through tough times

Johan Grobler, co-founder and director of Wuhlf Equipment, spoke to Janine Ryan about the company’s success with mulchers, and how it is weathering the ongoing logistics storm.

Change feed, change behaviour!

Starches and fibrous feed influence the composition of gut bacteria as well as the behaviour of a horse

Optical sorter for peanuts

Replacing traditional manual sorting methods with a machine has enabled Japan’s Inaba Peanuts, a well-known food producer, to improve quality and yield, as well as solve the problem of labour shortages.

Dealing with the mites that target tomatoes

Minute arachnids or mites start off in patches on a tomato crop and spread rapidly. Generally found on the undersides of leaves, they cause damage by puncturing the plant cells to feed. Bill Kerr looks at three mite species.

ESSENTIAL OILS - Growing thyme

Thymus vulgaris is a small, perennial, semi-evergreen subshrub that rarely grows more than 40cm tall and readily forms a ground cover. The oil is used to preserve processed meat and butter.

The 10 attributes of a successful family agribusiness

Multi-generational business families remain a powerful economic force in numerous industries worldwide. Trevor Dickinson looks at the lessons that family-run farms can learn from these success stories.

Powering up SA's pomegranate industry

Gerhard Meyer has achieved export success with his top-quality pomegranates. Now he and a group of other Klein Karoo farmers have established a brand specifically for pomegranates grown in this area, promising substantial employment and attracting government support. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the project.

Beating challenges with good veld management

Father-and-son team Robert and Sanele Khumalo constantly strive to maximise carcass weight in their commercial beef production enterprise. But with heavy recent rains and ever more unpredictable weather patterns, this requires careful and ongoing management of grazing and herd health.

Letelle sheep: SA's most undervalued breed

The Letelle is a proudly South African dual-purpose sheep, but despite its exceptional qualities, it remains one of the most underestimated sheep breeds in the country. Theo Oosthuizen, who breeds Letelle on his Free State farm, spoke to Annelie Coleman about these remarkable animals.

Shining fluorescent light on bee sperm could help explain colony survival

Christina Kotze, a researcher in invertebrate reproductive biology at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), and Gerhard van der Horst, emeritus professor at UWC, describe how pioneering methods of analysis developed by UWC's comparative spermatology group may ultimately be used to save the world's honeybees.

Three-day stiff sickness: low mortality, yet high morbidity

While the mortality rate of three-day stiff sickness is usually less than 1%, morbidity is high, with most animals never reaching the same level of production after recovery.

Growing freesias

Freesias are renowned for their bright colours, elegant shape and rich fragrance. They make a cheerful display in a garden and are also in demand as cut flowers. They are highly popular for wedding bouquets.

Subdued elegance comes to Orange Street

The Capital 15 on Orange in Cape Town is a stylish presence in a well-preserved quarter that dates back more than 350 years. And the dramatic mountain views only add to its allure, says Brian Berkman.

Harvesting the products of the bountiful marula

For thousands of years, Southern African communities have used the bark, leaves, fruit and kernels of the marula tree for their medicinal and nutritional properties. Martin Rust spoke to Magda du Toit about how his family is exploiting this multi-faceted resource, which occurs naturally on their farm in northern Namibia.

Percivale South Devons: a stud built on a solid legacy

The Roets family of the Eastern Cape's Barkly East district has been associated with South Devon cattle for approximately 90 years. Yet it was only in 2017 that PD Roets registered a stud. Mike Burgess visited him to find out more about his commitment to the selective breeding of South Devons in this cold, mountainous area.